Durand, Rationale divinorum officiorum, Venice, 1572, contemporary Roman black morocco richly gilt, by the Vatican Bindery

DURAND, GUILLAUME. Rationale divinorum officiorum, a R.D. Gulielmo Durando Mimatensi Episcopo I.V.D. clariss. concinnatum: atque nunc recens utilissimis adnotationibus illustratum. Venice: Comin da Trino, 1572

The outer border stamp appears on numerous Roman bindings, and was in use by Niccolò Franzese in the 1550s; similarly the spine decoration, a repeated tool of three interlaced circles, was also used as border decoration on De Marinis 669, a Roman binding on a Venetian imprint of 1542. The sunken panel with the Persian-inspired blocks, however, seems more Venetian in style, though other Roman examples are known (Davis Gift 325, made in Rome in the 1550s). 

4to (211 x 149 mm). Roman type, 51 lines plus headline, double column. Collation: *⁴ A-Z⁸ AA-ZZ⁸ &&⁸: 380 leaves (last leaf blank). Woodcut of Christ on title-page, woodcut initials and headpieces. (Occasional light browning or foxing.)

Binding: Contemporary Roman black morocco richly gilt (217 x 158 mm), by the Vatican Bindery, outer border of a repeated leaf and flower stamp, central sunken panel with gilt-blocked filigree centre and corner-pieces, with small leafy and fleur-de-lys gilt stamps around the centrepiece, spine gilt in compartments with a curving interlaced stamp, gilt edges, holes from two pairs of ties, some deckle edges. (Plausibly a remboîtage; binding slightly rubbed, rebacked retaining most of original spine, board edges repaired, gaps at hinges.)

Provenance: C.E. Rappaport, Rome, bookseller’s label on inside front cover — Maurice Burrus (1882-1959), his acquisition label from Rappaport dated 1937 — Ader Picard Tajan & Claude Guérin, Paris, 15 November 1971, lot 143 — Jean Fürstenberg (1890-1982), red gilt booklabel, bequeathed to Fondation Fürstenberg-Beaumesnil, sale, Wemaëre, de Beaupuis, Denesle, Binoche et Giquello, Paris, 9 December 2013, lot 119. Acquisition: Purchased at the preceding sale. References: Edit16 17906